Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com

Michael Vick thinks staying in Philadelphia gives himthe best chance to successfully carry out the second phase of his career in the NFL.

He confirmed as much during an interview with John Clark of NBC10 that aired Sunday night.

"Absolutely, absolutely," Vick said, when asked if Philadelphia was the best place for him to play football. "I know we're only going to get better as a team. I would love to stay here, love to be here, and I think this team gives me the best chance of winning a Super Bowl."

But that wasn't always the case. Vick said two years ago, the Eagles were not at the top of his list of teams. As has been reported multiple times, Vick's camp wanted a one-year deal after he got out of jail, but the Eagles would only agree to sign him to a two-year deal.

"I didn't want to come here to be honest with you," Vick said. "I knew I was going to be behind Donovan and Kevin, and I wanted to play. I just didn't see myself playing a heavy role in the offense.

"After awhile, I said to myself, you know what, it's just a blessing to have a team want me right now. Got the opportunity, and last year, everybody kind of grew on me."

The Eagles have a decision to make this offseason. If they want to bring Vick back, which by all indications they do, they can either sign him to a long-term extension or hit him with the franchise tag (although those options could change, depending on what happens with the CBA).

Clark asked Vick if he'd be OK with getting the franchise tag. While the designation provides a huge one-year salary, it does not provide longer-term security as Vick would be in the exact same position after next season.

"Absolutely, absolutely. No problem," Vick said. "I think about my situation two years ago, and to me, it's about securing my future financially, but I was in a position where I didn'thave anything at one point after having everything. So now it's all just a blessing, so whatever it is, whether it's a franchise tag or long-term deal, or however my agent and the Philadelphia Eagles, or whatever team may be, work it out, I'm going to be happy. But hopefully it's here."

Over the weekend, analyst Charley Casserly said on CBS that if Vick and the Eagles can work out a long-term extension once the CBA is in place, it would likely be around $12M-$14M per season.

Vick said he's looking forward to improving in the Eagles' offense. Clark asked him what percentage of his potential he played at in Atlanta, what percentage he played at last season and what percentage he expects to play at next season.

"65 percent in Atlanta, 85 percent here this year, going for 95 to 100 next year," Vick said. "I think next year will definitely be the year. That's the only thing I can think about now. It's funny because two years ago, I never envisioned myself being in this position. Four days after the playoff game, I'm thinking about next year."

He added that he's already talked to Andy Reid about what he needs to improve on this offseason.

"I think I've got the blueprint on what to do," Vick said. "I sat down and talked with Andy yesterday. He had a whole list of things that he thought I needed to do. It's good because without that I wouldn't see it or I wouldn't know, so that gives me guidance, areas to work on."

Vick admitted that he tried too often to make a big play last season. He said he needs to make the plays he knows he can make and not always think so big. But he's optimistic about fixing those problems.

"Sky's the limit for me," Vick said. "I totally believe in myself and my abilities, and I'm thankful for what I have. But I know there's so much more that I can accomplish. There's so much more that I can do to help this football team accomplish that one common goal. And that's the responsibility that I'm going to take on. It's my job as the quarterback, as the leader, to get the other guys to follow. And that's what I'm going to focus on this year - making my teammates better, helping them step their game up."

Sheil Kapadia is in his fifth season writing about the Eagles and the NFL for philly.com. His earliest
memories as a sports fan include several trips to Veterans Stadium with
his Dad. He's not a beat writer or an Insider, but is here to
discuss the NFL 365 days a year. E-mail him at skapadia@philly.com or
by clicking here